User blog:Will Duskgazer/An Archiver's Notes on Oleana
A large, humid, and lively body with an incredible amount of water and a bone-like shape, Oleana houses one of the most advanced species of the whole sector who, oddly, have only recently discovered the existence of fire. Oleana is the name of a double planet system located around a rather luminous yellow dwarf star, with it being 20,000 km in total. The components of the body, both approximately 8,000 km in diameter, orbit very close to each other, to the point where they both share the atmosphere and the hydrosphere; giving its characteristic appearance -with most beings not native to Oleana describing it as “bone shaped”-. However, the rocky cores of the double planet lack density, and as such their gravitational pull against each other is small enough to stop tidal forces to tear each other apart. This pair of bodies is located in the warm end of the local star’s Goldilocks zone, giving it enough heat to prevent any surface ice from forming on the body. Nonetheless, it has managed to avoid the runaway greenhouse effect characteristic of warm planets and has remained habitable. Some argue that Oleana may have avoided such scenario due to the sheer quantity of water present. As evidenced by the previous statement, Oleana has one of the highest concentrations of water of any inhabited planet, with the mass of water being a very significant chemical in the composition of the planet. As such, this strange body sports a world-spanning ocean, or in this case a worlds-spanning sea. This body of water is unusually clean, having a very low percentage of other compounds other than oxygen, salt and H2O. The high level of humidity, coupled with the overall warm temperature of Oleana, increases the chances of storms -especially electric thunderstorms- although the planet usually enjoys sunny weather. This sea is unusually deep in nearly every point, with the average depth being at over 20 kilometers under the water. The ocean floor however, is a highly active zone. Multiple thermal vents dot the ground, and it is not uncommon for a fissure to open up and spew molten lava onto the place, although seldom are volcanoes formed due to the pressure of the ocean. Due to the high pressure of this environment, coupled with the constant danger of death by magma makes the seafloor one of the most uninhabitable places on Oleana. What few volcanoes manage to breach the seafloor and rise to the surface are oases of life in the whole planet. Coral like flora forms dense and large reefs, teeming with all sorts of life, most of them invertebrate and soft but with an uncommon variety and diversity. On the open sea, floating biomes of algae and kelp-like plants create curious ecosystems populated by even more bizarre creatures, most of them with spikes or camouflaged to the foliage. Meanwhile, in the middle of the oceans living things tend to go towards gigantism; with enormous snakelike behemoths roaming the ocean for plankton, or prey. In contrast, the islands themselves are barren of life other than some hardy grasses and lichens, but have plentiful beaches. The intelligent natives of the planet, the Oleanans, are a race of jellyfish like beings. They possess a large, blue, translucent, bell like head with a single purple eye. Below said bell rest three appendages; a large fin like rigid structure used to direct the Oleanan while swimming, and two dexterous tentacles adapted to tool use. In addition, they posses two fins on the side of their heads to swim, which also act as gills. Their carnivorous mouth tends to be hidden from sight in the large appendage. Although the average Oleanan may seem like a translucent dumb jellyfish, they are one of the most, if not the, intelligent beings on the whole galaxy. Their brains are one of the most complex biological computers ever seen, giving the Oleanans the ability to immediately grasp, deduce, and even invent new concepts on the fly, as well as being able to do complex calculations on their head. Despite their high intelligence and advanced technology, this species is highly emphatic and social, being complete pacifists and loathing to do harm to anything they consider intelligent, preferring the use of diplomacy instead. However, if provoked enough, Oleanans will devise a devastating and disarming revenge that won’t allow their enemies to do any more harm, although they will avoid creating unnecessary losses. Oleanans live in shell like dwellings in the coral reefs of their planet, in harmony with their environment; but these can be as large as the reef they’re located in. They seem to lack a central government, instead being a confederation of city-estates, each with their own interests and culture, as well as representatives outside the planet. Nonetheless, the Oleanan mindset usually facilitates cooperation between each nation-city, with any disagreement being resolved in councils from other, impartial cities. They are not afraid of aliens, quite the opposite. They seem to greatly enjoy extraoleanan company and have good relationships with most known planets. They have gained a reputation as benefactors due to the many altruistic actions they have done for seemingly no reason other than pure generosity. Some argue that it may be a way of diplomatically disarming the helped species, as the good deeds of the Oleanan race towards the aliens will positively impact Oleana. Although a seaborne race with no skeleton seems to be at a disadvantage when developing machinery, especially since they can’t even smelt metals through conventional means. Undeterred, the Oleanans have compensated this problem using natural resources and living creatures to further their industry way further and quicker than most other races. They have used specifically bred crustaceans to act as living construction machinery, with genetically engineered anemone, snails, and sea slugs -which may not even look like their natural counterparts anymore- tasked to do their masters’ bidding, including exploiting the deep sea thermal vents. Their advance in biotech has resulted in Oleanans skipping most of the technological breakthroughs of other species, resulting in them discovering seemingly necessary inventions such as fire way into the space age. This kind of technology is their main export, as designed living beings tend to be more efficient and easier to maintain than rigid machines. One example of a particularly brilliant biotechnology is a symbiosis of many jellyfish like microorganisms who can contract or stretch themselves to act as a muscle. Coupled with the elastic bioplastic the microorganisms produce; Oleanans have done wonders with these creatures; ranging from mechs to whole, partially alive starships that can shape themselves on the fly -including healing holes in their hulls-. This self-repairing class of starship is highly coveted in all of the local sector, and their durability and sheer resistance to weaponry have contributed to establishing Oleanans as one of the most powerful factions of known space. Category:Blog posts